Centreville Elementary School

We Make It Happen

Adams, Nancy

graduated from Washington College and have my Masters Degree from Western Maryland College (McDaniel College).

Meet Mrs. Adams

Hello, I am the Visual Art teacher here at CES. I am a native of Kent County, graduated from Washington College and have my Masters Degree from Western Maryland College (McDaniel College). My husband and I are fortunate to live on my family's tree farm, which is in the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, and it is like living in the middle of a nature park. We have two grown sons who are working towards their Engineering degrees. I love the cool colors of purples, blues and greens. I have a dog named Grizzly and he is awesome! My favorite artwork is nature subjects of landscapes, plants and animals. I collect cool nature stuff like feathers, rocks, fossils, shells, bones, plants, leaves and pretty much anything visually interesting.

Art Class:

All kindergarten, first and second graders come for art class each week for an hour. My goal is to help my students experience a joy for art in all its many forms. I stress working carefully and thoughtfully. Students will have experience with planning their work, practicing and building skills and solving problems along the way. We embrace and encourage creative solutions to problems or mistakes. Students are reminded that mistakes are an opportunity for a new idea. Research shows that when students experience art making at the elementary level that these skills transfer into life long problem solving skills, creativity and confidence.

To help your child please provide them with an opportunity for art making at home. Encourage a special time or place for art. Gather any available supplies, which can many different things. Anything to make marks with (from pencils, crayons, markers, pens) and anything to make marks on (any paper, scrap, copy paper, construction paper, junk mail, magazines, newspapers) Don't forget paint! Watercolors are good and even tempra paint. Cutting and gluing are also a great way to create art, build fine motor skills and should be included in the assortment of art supplies. Gather an old shoebox, etc. to store these supplies in so they are ready to use. (It also makes a great travel case to bring Art Making with you.)

Please give your child rules and expectations for handling and taking care of these supplies. And clean-up is part of creating, too. These are part of the problem solving and responsibilities of creating art. Artists explore what supplies can do and they take care of them as well. Encourage looking at the shapes, lines and colors of many different things you see. Even if time does not allow making art, just looking and thinking like an artist will give ideas and memories to be used later for art. Visit a gallery or museum. Encourage your child to talk about what they see, what they like and what they don't like. How would they change it? Look at great art and the world around you and create art with your child. Of course, the fridge is one of many great places to display artistic creations.

This year promises to be another exciting one - as I have lots of interesting challenges for all my eager and, of course, wonderfully talented students to do in the art room!